Boulton Paul Buzzard Mk I

[TomZ]

Boulton Paul Buzzard Mk I



Specification F.6/42 called for a fighter with a high rate of climb (4,500ft/ min to 20,000ft), good acceleration and good manoeuvrability. Boulton Paul submitted two designs: the P-99 and P-100
The P.100 was an advanced design. It was a tail-first aircraft, with shoulder mounted canard wings just behind the cockpit and low mounted swept back main wings near the rear of the aircraft. The vertical tail surfaces and rudders were at the tip of the swept back wings. The pilot sat in the nose, with a good view from his all-round vision canopy. The P.100 had a tricycle undercarriage. In case of emergency the pilot escaped from the aircraft by jettisoning part of the lower forward fuselage and dropping down out of the aircraft.
Competing designs were the Folland Fo.117, Hawker P.1018, P.1019 & P.1020, Airspeed AS.56 and
Miles M.42. At the end of 1942 the two Boulton Paul designs were selected for development and two prototypes were ordered of each of them.



The first prototype P-100, now called Buzzard flew in January 1944 and showed a very good performance. After some trouble free trials 500 Buzzard Mk I aircraft were ordered for the RAF. The first production aircraft was delivered to the RAF in August 1944.
The Buzzard served as a heavy fighter and ground attack aircraft in France and later on also in the Pacific. In all 1650 Buzzards were built and the type remained in use until 1952.



Model made from the Unicraft 1/72 resin kit

TomZ
http://www.airwar1946.nl/index.htm

[chrisonord]

Very nice Tom, how was the build  as I have been  looking at these,  but the unicraft reputation  had put me off
Chris

[Rick Lowe]

Also very nice. 

I think this one has a slight edge, for me.

[TomZ]

Very nice Tom, how was the build  as I have been  looking at these,  but the unicraft reputation  had put me off
Chris

The build was not too bad. The fuselage parts and wings fit quite OK. The fuselage has enormous panel line trenches which I filled for the largest part.
The undercarriage is useless, that's why mine are in flight . The propeller blades are more or less adequate.
Cockpit interior detail is non existent but with the pilot figure in (came from an Airfix Defiant kit) you don't see a lot in the cockpit anyway.
Decals came from an Airfix Typhoon kit.

TomZ

[chrisonord]

Cheers  Tom,
I was thinking of  making one in to a turbo prop  coin aircraft , I would  probably need to  find some  replacement  or aftermarket  landing gear for it then by the sounds of it
Chris

[PR19_Kit]

Love that one Tom. 

BP were almost a Brit version of Blohm & Voss, weren't they? 

[Rheged]

B&P had some fascinating but non-standard ideas.  You've caught that B&P vibe very well with this one.

[Weaver]

Another great one - well done! 

[NARSES2]

That's come out well Tom 

I've a fair few Unicraft kits in the stash and really do have to be in the mood to build them, but if I'm in the right mood they can be strangely enjoyable ?

[Tophe]

Gorgeous model!
It could make a wonderful duet with the P.99 of Unicraft too: http://www.unicraft.biz/on/bp99/bp99.htm